RAJOURI: Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Kumar Choudhary, today convened a comprehensive review meeting in Rajouri to assess progress on major road connectivity projects being executed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Public Works Department (PWD) and Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
The meeting aimed to examine the ongoing work and ensure timely and quality execution of infrastructure projects in the district.
MLAs Javed Choudhary and Iftikhar Ahmed participated and highlighted the significance of these road connectivity initiatives for their constituencies.
Chairman District Development Council, Chowdhary Naseem Liaqat, Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma, Additional Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Assistant Commissioner Revenue, Chief Engineer PWD Rajouri-Poonch, Chief Engineer PMGSY, SE PWD and officers from BRO and engineering department attended the meeting.
The Deputy Chief Minister underscored the importance of each project’s quality and timely completion. He directed all the concerned officials to perform their tasks with honesty and a high level of dedication, focusing on improving performance metrics across all connectivity projects. He encouraged officials to actively identify and overcome bottlenecks affecting project timelines and quality standards.
Surinder Choudhary instructed the engineering and field staff to ensure strict adherence to technical specifications and safety standards, with an added emphasis on sustainable construction practices that will benefit the district in the long term. “Road connectivity is vital for socio-economic development of Rajouri, and all stakeholders must work with sincerity to meet the people’s expectations,” he stated.
The Deputy Chief Minister reviewed each project in detail, soliciting updates from the Chief Engineers of PWD and PMGSY as well as BRO representatives. Each department provided updates on project status, anticipated challenges and action plans for acceleration.
Surinder Choudhary directed the PMGSY teams to expedite road works in rural and remote areas to enhance accessibility. He stressed the importance of connecting the unconnected habitations by prioritizing works that have faced delays.
For the PWD-led projects, the Deputy Chief Minister directed the Chief Engineer to focus on timely completion while maintaining quality standards. He encouraged adoption of modern technology and efficient project management practices to avoid delays.
Special attention was given to roads of strategic importance under the purview of BRO. The Deputy Chief Minister instructed the BRO officials to maintain close coordination with district administration, especially in areas prone to weather-related disruptions, to ensure all-weather connectivity.
DDC Chairman, Naseem Liaquat, MLAs Javed Choudhary and Iftqar Ahmed underscored the importance of these projects for improving residents’ quality of life and boosting the local economy. They advocated for resolving land acquisition and compensation issues that often slow down infrastructure projects, promising their support to ensure smooth progress.
The Deputy Chief Minister concluded the meeting with a strong message of accountability, directing all engineers and field officers to ensure daily progress tracking and reporting.
He advised the Deputy Commissioner Rajouri to hold weekly progress reviews and instructed officials to promptly address any challenges encountered during project implementation. He assured that regular inspections would be conducted, emphasizing that delays due to negligence would not be tolerated.
